Word for the Travel Wise (05/08/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

When something gives you goose pimples from watching a short film clip on the tourism site you know the real thing must be phenomenal! That’s what happened just now as I searched through the New Zealand tourism website to find something interesting. Not that it’s ever too tough to find something cool happening over in the lush green country, but I was looking for something to blow me away. Something aside from the numerous movie-like tours that have probably taken the place over by traveling movie buffs and fans of films like Narnia. The portion that caught my eye was this one on the Powhiri, welcoming spirit and/or ceremony of New Zealand’s Maori people. You’ll want to check it out yourself if New Zealand is on your travel radar this year. Today’s word comes from that page.

Today’s word is a Maori word used in New Zealand:

Po – a venture into the “unknown” or new experience

Maori (or Te Reo) is a Polynesian language spoken in New Zealand and is closely related to Rarotongan, Tahitian, and slightly less closely to Hawaiian and Marquesan. The lang arrived in New Zealand by way of the Polynesians coming over by canoe most likely from the Cook Islands or Tahiti many years ago and maintained official status in the country until the 1860’s when it became a minority language. Use this Wiki information to get you started on the background and history of the language, but worry not about there being few great resources online for furthering your knowledge of the Maori. There is also an online language commission (Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Maori) that regulates the lingo and has one of the exhaustive list of links to learning within the country as well as outside. Maori.org has an awesome area to practice with quizzes on common words, phrases and proverbs.

Past Maori words: tapu

Longest Australia Lunch

by Erik Olsen on

It
looks we’re already about halfway into the thing, but I just caught this post over at
sister site Slashfood about the G’Day New Zealand weeklong festival happening down under (wait, is New Zealand
considered down under?)…anyway, there is still time for you to have some Aussie fun as part of the event because the
world’s longest
Australian lunch takes place on Friday.  Apparently its popular because tickets are selling like shrimps on
the barbie (sorry, had to sneak one hackneyed Australian reference in there) with over 400 people expected to
participate.

What’s being served? Glad you asked. "Sizzling" BBQ platters with Aussie king prawns
and croc meat, but also ample servings of beer and Lindeman’s wine (what, no Yellow Tail?) Anyway, seems like a cool
event.

World's Largest Pillow Fight

by Erik Olsen on

Now you’ve got to admit
this is downright silly. In a good way. Some 3659 folks gathered in New Zealand a few days ago, all of them
administered fluffy pillows, with which they engaged in what the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged was the world’s largest pillow fight , beating the previous
record by 11 um, pillow-fighters.

Now, were all the participants
negligee-clad sorority girls? Alas, no. That really would have made the show worth watching. But despite that drawback,
you have to hand it to the Kiwis, they sure know how to have fun .

The
goal was to do better than the previous pillow-fighting record of 3648 people, set at the University of Albany, New
York, on April 17, 2005.

 

Word for the Travel Wise (03/12/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Anyone who saw Whale Rider a few years back or read the book couldn’t possibly have
watched the entire film without being moved into visiting the country or further exploring the Maori people and their
culture. It was probably one of the very few movies that had such an impact on myself that I immediately began hunting
for flights and accommodation in the area although I really hadn’t the time and especially money for a much desired
vaca down yonder. I’m sure many of you are fascinated by the country, be it for the people or number of outdoor
activities like whale-watching to name only one of few. Before we set off on our long-awaited journey into the land of
kiwi let’s fill our heads with a little Maori language.

Today’s word is a Maori word used in New Zealand:

tapu – sacred

Maori (or Te Reo) is a Polynesian language spoken in
New Zealand and is closely related to Rarotongan, Tahitian, and slightly less closely to Hawaiian and Marquesan. The
lang arrived in New Zealand by way of the Polynesians coming over by canoe most likely from the Cook Islands or Tahiti
many years ago and maintained official status in the country until the 1860’s when it became a minority language. Use
this Wiki information to get you started on the background
and history of the language, but worry not about there being few great resources online for furthering your knowledge
of the Maori. There is also an online language commission (Te Taura
Whiri I te Reo Maori) that regulates the lingo and has one of the exhaustive list of links to learning within the
country as well as outside. Maori.org has an awesome area to
practice with quizzes on common words, phrases and proverbs.

A Kinder Lodging

by Adrienne Wilson on

Outside has a nice piece on eco lodging and a list of the world’s ten best. Having done such great research they note that these eco lodges not only suggest that they cause no harm to the outdoors, but that they bring benefit to the whole community and economy. If anything they are unique. The Black Sheep Inn in Ecuador has dry composting toilets with little vegetable and flower gardens inside and it’s the teenie touches that provide splendor to these lodges. People enjoy the canyon views and the lodge loves the compliments about their restrooms. If you’re going to do it, then you should do it right and here is the list of places that make the list.

  • Turtle Island, Fiji

  • Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge, Trinidad

  • Birch Pond Lodge, Alaska

  • Wenhai Ecolodge, China

  • Posada Amazonas, Peru

  • Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki, New Zealand

  • Tassia Lodge, Kenya

  • Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania

  • Selva Bananito Lodge, Costa Rica

  • Black Sheep Inn, Ecuador